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Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

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Re: Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

#441

Post by earnestinger »

paddy_m wrote: post #400
wkat4242 wrote: post #382

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Transformers are not very hard to replace or make though. All they are is some copper wound around iron. It will just be some added frustration and annoyance for them but no gamechanger. If they start doing it a lot Russia will just build a bigger electrical workforce and more backstock. They have plenty of people and the authorianism to make them do whatever they want. It's just a pissing contest. Russia did lots of…

Russia is importing shells from North Korea. Transformers are more complex than you give them credit for, and Russia has a very limited ability to manufacture anything, it would make a difference.

Logical explanation, there are better alternative targets. (Supply of deep strike is finite, one must prioritise)

Re: Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

#442

Post by lovegrenoble »

jajko wrote: post #131
varsketiz wrote: post #111

As someone from a country neighbouring russia, I wish my country decided to do this as well.

Every country in such position wishes for that (sans mandatory smaller part of population utterly brainwashed on some simplistic panslavic anti-soros fairy tales, when in reality russians cough cough soviets killed more slavs in past 150 years than all external adversaries combined, included nazi WWII warfare and genocides). I don't think russians like to acknowledge how hated their country actually is, universally,…

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Re: Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

#443

Post by lazide »

firesteelrain wrote: post #438
lazide wrote: post #417

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what I said, actually. [ https://www.train-museum.org/2019/02/18/black-railroad-jobs/ ] Which part do you think I didn’t?

I made a more nuanced and historically grounded point, whereas your post was a sarcastic oversimplification. So no — you didn't say what I said. I emphasized the diversity and complexity of postbellum labor in the South; you gave a glib summary that oversimplifies it as mostly “recently freed black slaves paid almost nothing + ‘free’ prison labor.”

Your point is flat out misrepresenting the situation. Especially by listing White workers first. At that time, the only white workers in the south who would have been moving rail and driving spikes would have been on a prison work detail or in a similar severely legally compromised situation. Even getting white workers to couple cars didn’t happen until much later.

Re: Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

#444

Post by lovegrenoble »

euroderf wrote: post #366
jajko wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every country in such position wishes for that (sans mandatory smaller part of population utterly brainwashed on some simplistic panslavic anti-soros fairy tales, when in reality russians cough cough soviets killed more slavs in past 150 years than all external adversaries combined, included nazi WWII warfare and genocides). I don't think russians like to acknowledge how hated their country actually is, universally,…

"Russia has been screwed up for the last eight hundred years, and Russia will be screwed up for the next eight hundred years."

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Re: Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

#445

Post by earnestinger »

StefanBatory wrote: post #228
pydry wrote: post #197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Your argument is the same as Iraq being a realistic threat against the US. Your argument appears to be that your enemy's fear driven by losing 27 million people during an invasion/war of extermination is exactly equivalent to your country's fear of weapons that were imagined solely for the purposes of justifying an invasion. My argument was that it is quite easy to get a domestic population to treat all of the enemy…

It's such a mystery why all neighbours of Russia hate Russia and Russians. If only there was a reason for this.

Hate? No.

Wary? Yes.

Seems Necessary given current circumstances.

(After peace comes, and enough time passes, someday, we will be friends again)

Re: Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

#446

Post by earnestinger »

pydry wrote: post #267
mopsi wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Just like fear of "greater finland" made the Soviets invade in the first place. And the fear of Poland made the Nazis invade Poland, right? Their propaganda no doubt presented things this way, but that was far from the truth. Much like Nazis had to stage a Polish attack on German radio station[1] to justify their invasion of Poland, the USSR had to fabricate the shelling of Mainila[2] to justify the invasion of Fin…

No. The closest living analog to the Nazis today is our allies in Israel and like the Nazis they arent shy about endless expansionism for the sake of creating lebensraum for their ubermensch. Theyre not very shy about the holocaust theyre committing either. Russia never went on an extermination drive in order to create an ethnically pure ethnostate. The biggest western geopolitical mistake of the 2020s is assuming th…

> Russia never went on an extermination drive in order to create an ethnically pure ethnostate.

Technically correct is the best kind of correct.

Re: Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

#447

Post by bell-cot »

yason wrote: post #229

The project is theoretically a good idea but it's not really practical, and nobody is honestly suggesting it for real -- surely plans are cheap, and planning is even cheaper. But there are fewer than handful of railway lines crossing over the eastern border to Russia. Those can be blown up for good, for long enough distance that it's not feasible for Russia to rebuild track and reconnect to the main network should th…

> But there are fewer than handful of railway lines crossing over the eastern border to Russia. Those can be blown up for good, for long enough distance that it's not feasible for Russia to rebuild track and reconnect to the main network should they ...

There is no such thing as "blown up for good" for a railway line. And similar for "not feasible for Russia to rebuild". Destroying enemy-held (or soon-to-be-captured) rail lines was a thing, at scale, in WWII. On the Russian Front. Similar for rebuilding captured rail lines to convert them from "enemy gauge" to "our gauge". At best, using a different gauge and rail destruction are delaying & resource-draining tactics.

Re: Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

#448

Post by bell-cot »

varsketiz wrote: post #106
indiantinker wrote: post #100

TBH, it seems like a questionable way to spend EU money. Technically, it's fascinating, but unless it's part of a broader geopolitical or long-term interoperability strategy, it's hard to justify the costs. In Spain, we already deal with both Iberian and standard gauges—trains like the Talgo models can change gauges with minimal delay. It's not seamless, but it works reasonably well. Spain also has the world's second…

The goal is defence - to prevent easy russian train logistics deep into Finland.

Defense is the "headline" goal. Less-clicky (but similarly important) goals are (1) easing trade & travel with the countries which the Finns expect to be doing the great majority of their trade & travel with, and (2) getting massive EU funding for the rebuilding & modernization of a whole lotta old Finnish rail infrastructure.

Re: Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

#449

Post by Suppafly »

crote wrote: post #356
Suppafly wrote: post #343

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>The tolerances are just a bit tighter, the risks and liabilities are higher, and the workforce just isn't "there" Sure, but they do it with big machines that ride down the rails now instead of lining up thousands of men with sledge hammers.

There are no ready-made gauge changing machines, though. Not exactly a big market for those.

>There are no ready-made gauge changing machines, though. Not exactly a big market for those.

I'm not a train guy, but I'm pretty sure the machine that lifts the track up and allows them to swap out the ties is like 95% of what would be needed for a gauge changing machine.

Re: Finland announces migration of its rail network to international gauge

#450

Post by pydry »

oblio wrote: post #433
pydry wrote: post #428

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The promise to Ukraine was that they are going to be protected by their chosen gang rather than be cynically used to try and take down a rival gang. The lie was laid bare once they were actually attacked. Article 5 protections - the only reason they are fighting this war - came off the table as soon as it became clear that the rival gang wasn't going to be taken down. Quick essay for 30 points: write to a grieving mo…

Ukraine wasn't in NATO and NATO members Baltics have not been attacked, even though they're a lot smaller and more vulnerable The Western alliance is doing some horrible things worldwide, but your point of view regarding Eastern Europe is horribly mistaken. I'm fairly sure you have no idea what you're talking about, and you're probably not from there. I'd basically classify you as a tankie: https://en.wikipedia.org/w…

Ironically this slur is only ever used by imperialists who support the empire they live under.

If we were having this argument inside the Soviet Union in 1968 you'd be calling me different slurs for an identical reason - because I wouldnt have supported sending the tanks into czechoslovakia. and you would, coz your calculus is "my empire justified, other empire unjustified".

This isnt any different to when I was called a Tankie in 2003 coz I didnt want to send the tanks in to Baghdad by people who accused me of being pro Saddam.

You apparently dont have the capacity to see pacifism, only traitors.

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